Page 51 of The Perfect Melody

“I barged in.” She deflates. “Shit, I’m sorry.”

“It’s for the best. We can’t stand each other.” Well, that’s not exactly true anymore, but that’s not the point. The last thing I need is this group thinking something might happen between us when it’s clear Austin isn’t interested in me in that way.

“Can’t you though?”

“Mei, I destroyed his bar.”

“Youpartiallydestroyed his beer garden,” Gem corrects.

“That was you?” Daphne asks in surprise.

“Yep.”

“Huh.” She and Erin share a look the way best friends do when they want to have an entire conversation with just their eyes.

“What?” I take a sip of coffee, trying to seem less defensive.

“The way he looked at you on Saturday night didn’t seem like hate. If I had to name it, I’d say it was longing,” Erin answers, looking alarmingly excited by the prospect.

“You’re kidding, right? He was relieved I offered to perform when he found out the band he booked weren’t going to make it—that’s all you saw.”

“If you say so.” She takes a sip of her drink.

“I do. He’s maybe atinybit attracted to me, but reluctantly. He turned me down so… definitely no longing.” My cheeks burn with my admission. Normally I wouldn’t be so forthcoming, but this group feels trustworthy. While they obviously enjoy a bit of gossip—who doesn’t from time to time—it’s easy to see they’re good people. “We have a tentative, budding friendship at best.”

Gem gets a thoughtful look in her eyes. “From what I know, Austin’s always been a bit of a rule follower. I wouldn’t put it past him to, as you put it, turn you down because he’s your boss and worries it’s inappropriate.”

“He may have brought that up.”

Mei wiggles in her seat next to me. “Oh that’s good, we can work with that.”

I arch my brows. “We?”

“Yes,we.” She makes a circle with her hand, indicating she’s including the entire group. “From what I’ve seen, he likes you even if he’s been kind of… annoyed about it until now. Saturday was different. When I walked in on you two, he looked like it hurt to let go of you—that’s not dislike or indifference. It’s definitely not how you act when you only see someone as a friend.”

“Maybe he was just horny.” Phoebe’s blunt assessment startles a laugh out of me. Mei, Gem, and Erin give her pointed looks, and Daphne’s lips twitch as if she’s trying not to giggle. “What?”

“Ignore her,” Gem instructs. “It sounds like he’s holding back because he thinks that’s what heshoulddo, not because hewantsto.” She shrugs one shoulder. “You can work with that.”

“Who says I want to?” I mumble, feeling self-conscious.

“Your face,” Mei answers before taking a shockingly large bite of her turnover.

“Alright, let her breathe. We’re trying to get to know Cassie, not interrogate her.”

I give Daphne an appreciative smile, and she winks at me.

“Erin, how are things with you and Naomi?” Phoebe asks.

“She and Becca decided to get back together.” At the sympathetic looks from her friends, Erin rolls her eyes. “It’s fine. We weren’t serious, you know that.”

“Still sucks though,” Gem says, fiddling with one of her necklaces.

Erin’s expression softens. “A little, but I really am fine.”

Content with her reassurances, the conversation moves onto other things. I learn that Phoebe owns Wordplay, the bookshop I’ve been meaning to check out, and I promise to stop by soon. Considering how nervous I was to spend time with Mei’s friends, I’m amazed by how relaxed I feel by the time we wrap things up a little after ten. According to Daphne and Erin, the shop will get busier from around ten-thirty. With all of us helping, it only takes a couple of minutes to clear the tables and put them back in their usual positions.

“You’ll join us next week, right?” Mei asks after we wave goodbye to everyone and step out into the sunshine together.